Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
  • B65G47/00—Article or material-handling devices associated with conveyors; Methods employing such devices
  • B65G47/02—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors
  • B65G47/04—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles
  • B65G47/12—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles from disorderly-arranged article piles or from loose assemblages of articles
  • B65G47/14—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles from disorderly-arranged article piles or from loose assemblages of articles arranging or orientating the articles by mechanical or pneumatic means during feeding
  • B65G47/1407—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles from disorderly-arranged article piles or from loose assemblages of articles arranging or orientating the articles by mechanical or pneumatic means during feeding the articles being fed from a container, e.g. a bowl
  • B65G47/1442—Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles from disorderly-arranged article piles or from loose assemblages of articles arranging or orientating the articles by mechanical or pneumatic means during feeding the articles being fed from a container, e.g. a bowl by means of movement of the bottom or a part of the wall of the container
  • B65G47/1471—Movement in one direction, substantially outwards
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
  • B65G47/00—Article or material-handling devices associated with conveyors; Methods employing such devices
  • B65G47/22—Devices influencing the relative position or the attitude of articles during transit by conveyors
  • B65G47/24—Devices influencing the relative position or the attitude of articles during transit by conveyors orientating the articles
  • B65G47/256—Devices influencing the relative position or the attitude of articles during transit by conveyors orientating the articles removing incorrectly orientated articles
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
  • B65G65/00—Loading or unloading
  • B65G65/30—Methods or devices for filling or emptying bunkers, hoppers, tanks, or like containers, of interest apart from their use in particular chemical or physical processes or their application in particular machines, e.g. not covered by a single other subclass
  • B65G65/34—Emptying devices
  • B65G65/40—Devices for emptying otherwise than from the top
  • B65G65/42—Devices for emptying otherwise than from the top using belt or chain conveyors
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
  • B65G69/00—Auxiliary measures taken, or devices used, in connection with loading or unloading
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
  • B65G2201/00—Indexing codes relating to handling devices, e.g. conveyors, characterised by the type of product or load being conveyed or handled
  • B65G2201/02—Articles
  • B65G2201/0214—Articles of special size, shape or weigh

Definitions

• the present invention comes into the field of supplying sorted closure elements, with a view to supplying a downstream workstation within a production line.
• closure elements consist of caps intended to close containers, in particular flasks or bottles, made of glass or of metal, in particular of aluminum.
• closure elements generally having a cylindrical, conical or frustoconical shape.
• Said closure elements can be made of any type of material, in particular plastic or metal.
• a container comprises an opening, in the form of a mouthpiece, generally located in the upper part of a neck.
• a closure element such as a capsule.
• a capsule generally has a flattened tubular shape, resembling a hollow disc. Said capsule is closed by a concave bottom in order to receive internally a seal ensuring the seal once the capsule is positioned in contact with the drink.
• a capsule has a crenellated peripheral edge, resulting from its manufacture by stamping a metal sheet, in particular of thick iron bed. This crenellated edge comprises a flaring from the bottom towards the outside, giving such a capsule the name of “crown” (or “crown cap” in English).
• the supply of plugging elements, in the form of capsules is effected by means of a sorting module, commonly called a “cap-feeder”.
• a sorting module receives as input said capsules discharged in bulk into a tank, such as a hopper.
• This module ensures, on the one hand, the sorting of these capsules in order to arrange them in a suitable positioning with a view, on the other hand, to continuously supply sorted capsules, a work station located downstream on the line. of production.
• the main roles of such a downstream workstation are to fill the containers and then to close them by means of the sorted capsules.
• said downstream workstation may consist of a bottling module provided with a unit for capping the containers, or else a unit for sterilizing said capping elements.
• a sorting module makes it possible to take capsules initially jumbled together and to correctly orient all these capsules, according to a regular flow and continuous supplying at least the downstream workstation whose function is to close each container by means of a capsule.
• a sorting module is generally called a “cap-feeder”.
• An existing sorting module comprises in the lower part a tank receiving the bulk plugging elements and, immersing within said tank, a lifting means generally formed of an endless belt oriented vertically and driven so as to extract and ensure the elevation of said capsules.
• said carpet comprises on an outer face a succession of cleats juxtaposed along its length.
• Said cleats are in the form of flat bars, of rectangular parallelepiped shape.
• Such cleats are spaced apart to provide housings extending transversely from one edge to the other of said belt, the spacing between two cleats corresponding approximately to the diameters of said capsules to be taken from within the reservoir.
• the inclination of the belt, the configuration as well as the dimensions of said cleats ensure a determined positioning of the capsules taken.
• a major problem lies in the fact that said regular flow sent at the outlet of the lifting means must imperatively comprise correctly positioned capsules, most particularly with their open face oriented towards the outside of the housings, their crenellated edge towards the outside of said housing. .
• the capsules have undergone a sorting which does not make it possible to ensure with certainty that no capsule presents an orientation failure.
• cleats the upper edge of which is shaped specifically to receive the crenellated peripheral edge of the capsules.
• the upper edge has a concave section, forming a recessed groove over the entire length of each of said cleats.
• this groove is asymmetric with respect to the thickness of each cleat, with a most re-entrant point located towards the outer face of said cleat, namely the face located opposite the belt on which said cleat rests. Therefore, the groove has a more steeply inclined slope from the front to the most re-entrant point, relative to the inclination of the slope extending from the rear.
• the inclinations of these slopes correspond to the degree of flaring of the crenellated peripheral edge.
• a capsule being taken from the tank in a housing formed between two cleats is inserted below within said groove at the level of the bottom of its crenellated peripheral edge.
• insertion into the groove allows the capsule to fit fully into the housing, namely that the top of the peripheral edge is inserted under the lower edge of the top cleat.
• the capsule is found partially or even completely introduced into the groove and, therefore, in the housing between the lower edge of the upper cleat and said groove of the lower cleat. Its center of gravity is off-center, which more strongly induces its imbalance and its fall towards the hopper.
• the imbalance can be accentuated by a sorting means cooperating with the belt of the elevation conveyor, so as to drop the badly oriented capsules present in said housing.
• sorting means may comprise means suitable for amplifying the imbalance of the capsules, such as for example by generating vibrations of the belt, by propelling blown air or else by modifying the inclination of said belt over a distance, forming a bump. or "speed bump" at the level of the ascending strand of said carpet.
• ejection means are known. Such means can be of different types, in particular pneumatic by sending pulsed or pressurized air, or even by simply using a gravity effect.
• Another solution may consist of mechanical means, such as a member which is moved to effect a transverse thrust along said housing, from one end towards the opposite end, pushing the capsules in a train to an outlet provided for this purpose. . Therefore, a misoriented capsule may nest with adjacent, well-oriented capsules and be ejected with the others, when it should not. In addition, a poorly oriented capsule can come to block against the walls of the housing.
• the object of the invention is to overcome the drawbacks of the state of the art by proposing to improve the sorting of crown type capsules, through a specific and determined shape of the lower edge of the upper cleat of the housings.
• the invention provides a domed lower edge, having a convex section, so as to determine a housing whose depth shape perfectly matches the profile of the capsules, when they are oriented correctly.
• the device for supplying sorted closure elements in particular in the form of “crown” type capsules, comprises
• an elevation conveyor in the form of a belt provided with an ascending strand penetrating said storage volume
• said elevation conveyor comprising on the outer face a plurality of cleats oriented transversely with respect to said belt and spaced so as to determine a housing between the upper edge of a lower cleat and the lower edge of an upper cleat, each housing taking off several of said capsules as it passes through said storage volume;
• said sorting means cooperating with the movement of said elevation conveyor, so as to drop the mis-oriented capsules present in said housing.
• Such a supply device is characterized by the fact that the lower edge of the upper cleat has a convex section in opposition to said belt.
• said convex section may have an angle with respect to the face of said belt, said angle being determined with respect to the inclination of the edge of said capsules.
• Said convex section can be rounded.
• Said convex section may be rounded along an arc of a circle corresponding to the flaring of the peripheral edge of said capsules.
• a housing may include a rear distance located against the carpet between the upper edge of the lower cleat and the lowest point of the lower section edge convex of the upper cleat, said rear distance being less than the outside diameter of the crenellated edge of a capsule.
• the upper edge of a lower cleat may include a concave section forming a groove.
• Said groove may have an asymmetrical section and comprises a rear slope situated against the carpet inclined more slightly than the slope situated in opposition towards the outside of the housing.
• the invention also relates to a cleat alone, in particular intended to provide a device for supplying sorted closure elements.
• Such a cleat for a device for supplying sorted closure elements comprises a flattened bar, characterized in that the lower edge of said bar of said cleat has a convex section.
• said convex section may be rounded.
• the upper edge of the bar of said cleat may include a concave section forming a groove.
• FIG. 1 schematically represents a perspective view of an embodiment of a device for supplying sorted closure elements
• Figure 2 schematically shows a perspective view of a detail of a delivery device, partially showing an elevation conveyor
• FIG. 3 schematically represents a perspective view of part of a cleat according to a first embodiment
• FIG. 4 schematically represents a view similar to FIG. 3, showing a cleat according to another embodiment
• FIG. 5 schematically represents a view in section of a housing according to one embodiment, showing the positioning in insertion of a correctly oriented capsule
• FIG. 6 schematically represents a sectional view of a housing according to one embodiment, showing a capsule that is misoriented and unbalanced.
• the present invention relates to the supply of closure elements within an industrial line for the production and processing of products forming containers.
• Said closure elements are each intended to close the opening of one of the products, after filling.
• a container comprises an opening, in the form of a mouthpiece, generally located in the upper part of a neck. After filling, the opening of a container is hermetically sealed by means of a stopper element, preferably in the form of a capsule 1.
• Such a capsule 1 generally has a flattened tubular shape, closed by a concave bottom so as to receive internally a seal ensuring the seal once the capsule 1 is positioned in contact with the drink.
• Such a capsule 1 has a crenellated peripheral edge, resulting from its manufacture by stamping a metal sheet, in particular of thick bench iron. This crenellated edge comprises a flaring from the bottom towards the outside, giving such a capsule 1 the name of “crown” (or “crown cap” in English).
• the supply of closure elements, in the form of capsules 1 is effected by means of a sorting module, receiving said capsules 1 as input.
• This module ensures, on the one hand, the sorting of these capsules 1 in order to dispose them in a suitable positioning with a view, on the other hand, to continuously supply sorted capsules 1, a work station located downstream on the production line, as a capping station.
• the invention relates to the invention relates to a device 2 for supplying drawn closure elements.
• the delivery device 2 is supplied with a closure element, namely with capsules 1.
• a closure element namely with capsules 1.
• Such a supply can be carried out from a station located upstream, such as a module for manufacturing closure elements, for example a capsule stamping station 1. Such a supply can then be carried out automatically.
• the supply can also be carried out by pouring out the capsules 1, previously manufactured and packaged, for example in cartons. These cartons are emptied by an operator within the device 2, so that the capsules 1 can be picked up and sorted.
• the supply device 2 comprises a volume 3 for bulk storage of said capsules 1.
• this storage volume 3 may have the shape of a hopper or a container, integral with the supply device 2, in particular forming an integral part or attached integrally to its structure.
• the capsules 1 feed the storage volume 3 and remain there transiently, before being taken and drawn.
• the supply device 2 comprises an elevation conveyor 4 in the form of a belt 40 provided with an ascending strand penetrating said storage volume 3.
• the conveyor 4 is preferably of the endless belt type, said belt 40 being wound around return rollers, free and motorized.
• said belt 40 of the conveyor 4 extends vertically or substantially vertically.
• the motorization therefore drives the ascending section from the bottom upwards, transporting the capsules 1 from said storage volume 3.
• said elevation conveyor 4 comprises on the outside face a plurality of cleats 5. These cleats 5 are fixed to said belt 40.
• Said cleats 5 are oriented transversely with respect to said belt 40.
• said cleats 5 are positioned over the width of the conveyor 4, extending from one edge to the other of the belt 40.
• the cleats 5 extend therefore horizontally or substantially horizontally.
• the cleats 5 are parallel to each other. Therefore, the cleats 5 are orthogonal to the direction of movement of the conveyor 4.
• the cleats 5 are spaced so as to determine a housing 6.
• the housing 6 is therefore formed between the upper edge 501 of a lower cleat 50 and the lower edge 510 of an upper cleat 51.
• two adjacent cleats 50,51 constitute a housing 6 between their edges facing each other.
• the cleats 5,50,51 are spaced in particular at regular intervals.
• each cleat 5, 50, 51 may be in the form of a flattened bar, of generally rectangular parallelepiped shape.
• Each housing 6 takes several of said capsules 1 as it passes through said storage volume 3. Therefore, the interval between the cleats 5, 50, 51 is determined so that the dimensions of a housing 6 correspond to the dimensions of the closure elements, in particular their external diameter, so that said closure elements penetrate at least partially to the interior of a housing 6 during its passage within said storage volume 3.
• the plugging elements can be introduced into a housing 6 in any orientation, namely with their top facing towards the belt 40 or else facing said belt 40 towards the outside.
• An example of a capsule 1 with its top facing towards the belt 40 is visible in FIG. 5, while a capsule 1 oriented in the opposite direction is visible in FIG. 6.
• the elements capping must all be oriented in the same way, preferably with their top facing towards the belt 40, it is advisable to sort the closure elements turned in the other direction.
• the supply device 2 provides for carrying out a first sorting during the ascent of the closure elements, by generating an imbalance of the closure elements, so that, if they are poorly oriented, or even poorly positioned or introduced into the housings 6, these elements fall back under the effect of gravity.
• the unbalanced closure elements fall back to the storage volume 3 where they can be taken again. Therefore, such a supply device 2 is commonly called the “waterfall” type.
• the supply device 2 comprises a means 9 for sorting by imbalance of capsules 1 present within said housing 6.
• This sorting means 9 cooperates with the movement of said elevation conveyor 4, so as to drop the capsules 1. poorly oriented present in said housing 6.
• Such sorting means 9 may comprise means suitable for amplifying the imbalance of the capsules 1, such as for example by generating vibrations of the belt 40, by propelling blown air or else by modifying the inclination of said belt 40 over a distance. , forming a hump or "donkey's back" at the level of the ascending section of said carpet 40.
• the supply device 2 provides for cleats 5, 50, 51 specifically shaped.
• at least the lower edge 510 of the upper cleat 51 has a convex section in opposition to said belt 40.
• said lower edge 510 preferably of each cleat 5, 50, 51, comprises a section inclined along a slope increasing from the belt 40 towards said cleat 5,50,51.
• the lower edge 510 forms a bevel or chamfer.
• the upper cleat 51 may have a rear height situated against the belt 40, greater than its height situated in opposition towards the outside of the housing 6. In short, its rear face is higher than its front face.
• Such a bevel can be straight or rectilinear.
• said convex section is rounded, namely having an arc of a circle. Therefore, the section bulges outward.
• the lower edge 500, 510 may have a rounded convex section, namely in particular having a rounded portion and a straight portion. Said rounded section may be located outwardly, namely distal to said mat 40.
• An example of such a convex section with a rounded portion and a rectilinear portion is visible in Figures 2 to 6.
• such a rounded configuration facilitates the introduction into a housing 6 of the closure elements, in particular capsules 1, during their removal.
• the rounding allows better fitting of the well-oriented capsules 1 and limits the possibility of poorly oriented capsules entering and remaining in the housing 6.
• said convex section may be rounded along an arc of a circle corresponding to the flaring of the peripheral edge of said capsules 1.
• at least the lower edge 500,510 is machined during the manufacture of the cleats 5,50,51, according to dimensions and / or shapes which correspond to those of the sealing elements to be taken.
• said convex section may have an angle with respect to the face of said belt 40, said angle being determined with respect to the inclination of the edge of said capsules 1.
• This angle is understood globally, preferably along the rectilinear section of said convex portion.
• Such an angle may be between 5 ° and 85 ° relative to a plane orthogonal to the surface of the belt 40, namely relative to the normal of said belt 40.
• the angle is 35 ° relative to said normal to the belt 40.
• FIG. 5 shows more particularly the angle of inclination of the convex part, improving the introduction of a capsule 1.
• a housing 6 may include a rear distance 7 located against the belt 40 between the upper edge 501 of the lower cleat 50 and the lowest point of the lower edge 510 of the convex section of the upper cleat 51, such that said distance 7 rear is less than the outer diameter of the crenellated edge of a capsule 1.
• a distance is visible in particular in FIG. 5. Consequently, a capsule 1 can fit perfectly into the housing 6 until it comes against the surface of the belt 40.
• the diameter of a standard capsule 1 may be between 10 and 50 mm (millimeters), preferably 26 mm, 29 mm or 32 mm for a crown-type capsule 1.
• the shape of the top and bottom walls of the housing 6 can be provided complementary to the shape of a closure element, preferably to the specific shape of a capsule 1. .
• the upper edge 501, 51 1 of a cleat 5, 50, 51 can be straight, as in particular visible in the embodiment of FIG. 3.
• the upper edge 501 of a lower cleat 50 may include a concave section forming a groove 8.
• Such a groove 8 can be formed by a bevel or a chamfer, forming a slope towards the surface of the belt 40.
• said groove 8 is formed by this slope and the belt 40.
• said groove 8 has an asymmetrical section and comprises a rear slope situated against the belt 40 inclined more slightly than the slope situated in opposition towards the outside of the housing 6. This asymmetrical configuration of the groove 8 is particularly visible in FIGS. 4 to 6.
• the invention ensures that all the closure elements are correctly oriented.
• the sorted elements remaining in each housing 6 are sent downstream, in particular in order to reference the flow of elements according to a determined rate.
• This sending is carried out in particular by means of suitable ejection means, ensuring the linear extraction of the elements present in each housing 6, in successive trains.
• ejection means may comprise a mechanical thrust member, an air thruster, in particular compressed air, or else configured to eject the elements under the effect of gravity.
• the invention also relates to a cleat alone, as described above. Therefore, the supply device 2 comprises at least one of these cleats 5.
• one of these cleats 5 comprises a flattened bar with its lower edge 500, 510 having a convex section.
• said convex section can be rounded.
• the upper edge 501, 51 1 of the bar may include a concave section forming a groove 8.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Belt Conveyors (AREA)
• Feeding Of Articles To Conveyors (AREA)
• Sorting Of Articles (AREA)
• Filling Or Emptying Of Bunkers, Hoppers, And Tanks (AREA)
• Combined Means For Separation Of Solids (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=69468606

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (8)

Family Cites Families (9)

• 2019
  • 2019-07-04 FR FR1907453A patent/FR3098207B1/fr active Active
• 2020
  • 2020-07-02 CA CA3141260A patent/CA3141260A1/fr active Pending
  • 2020-07-02 CN CN202080049005.7A patent/CN114080365A/zh active Pending
  • 2020-07-02 WO PCT/EP2020/068699 patent/WO2021001490A1/fr active Application Filing
  • 2020-07-02 MX MX2022000048A patent/MX2022000048A/es unknown
  • 2020-07-02 EP EP20734980.4A patent/EP3994081A1/fr active Pending
  • 2020-07-02 BR BR112022000098A patent/BR112022000098A2/pt unknown
  • 2020-07-02 US US17/623,263 patent/US20240034569A1/en active Pending

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